Maidservants in the Western Region’s Palace Side Quarters had it much worse than those in Beimin. They had to do the dirtiest jobs, and they would be beaten to death if they made mistakes. Most of the maidservants here were the offspring of sinful officials or slaves, and there was no way they could escape their fate.
In Beimin, servants were able to apply for amnesty every ten years as long as they performed well and avoided any serious mistakes. The Imperial Household would then go through the applications, select 30 maidservants and give them some silvers to leave the palace.
This was why the Grand Empress Dowager hugged Su Xi-er and wept when she heard that her granddaughter had been a maidservant in the Palace Side Quarters.
Su Xi-er hugged her grandmother and gently patted her on the back. Although her time as a maidservant hadn’t been easy, she still said, “Royal Grandmother, the Old Maidservant treated me rather well, and it wasn’t very tiring for me.” Su Xi-er recalled how Old Maidservant Zhao didn’t treat her well, while Old Maidservant Liu died because of her.
“Poor child. You would have been the Western Region’s proudest Imperial Princess if the nation had been at peace. Royal Grandmother would’ve also chosen a good husband for you.” She looked up at Pei Qianhao as she spoke, having gotten quite a good impression of him thus far.
I wonder if he treats her well? She then asked sternly, “Why did you allow my granddaughter to be a maidservant, and how could the people of Beimin accept a marriage between the two of you when your political status were so different? Furthermore, when did you meet?”
The Grand Empress Dowager was insistent, and Du Ling intelligently backed off.
Pei Qianhao answered respectfully, “We hadn’t known each other when she first became a maidservant.”
Su Xi-er then said, “Royal Grandmother, we met in an area near the Palace Side Quarters. I even knocked him out the first time we met.”
Everyone fell silent. Du Ling looked at Pei Qianhao with a strange expression. She knocked him out on their first meeting?
Pei Qianhao averted his awkward gaze. I wouldn’t have been knocked out if I wasn’t distracted.
The Grand Empress Dowager laughed. “As expected of the Western Region’s Imperial Princess, knocking out Prince Hao so casually. But why did you do such a thing? Did he…?.” She glared at Pei Qianhao. “Audacious! How dare you lay a hand on her! You deserve to be knocked out!”
This was the first time someone had reprimanded Pei Qianhao so sternly. However, he didn’t dare to get angry with his wife’s grandmother. “After meeting Xi-er, I took her away from the imperial palace so that she wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.”
The Grand Empress Dowager turned to Su Xi-er. “Xi-er? Is that your name in the central plains? You’re now the Western Region’s Imperial Princess, so you need a Western Regioner’s name as well.”
Pei Qianhao suggested, “How about Du Rulan?”
Su Xi-er was called Ning Rulan in her past life, and Pei Qianhao thoughtfully suggested using ‘Rulan’ for her Western Region name.
The Grand Empress Dowager frowned. “Rulan. It does sound like the name of a Western Regioner. My dear, do you like it? You can use this name if you like.”
Su Xi-er nodded. “I like it.”
